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Doctrine changes · Claim record

In November-December 1928 the Watch Tower repudiated the pyramid teaching, stating there is 'no justification for applying any of these texts to the pyramid of Gizeh' and that Egypt 'always represents Satan's organization'.

Claim ID claim-doctrine-pyramid-1928-repudiatedConcerns 1 December 1928Explicit statement
Explicit statement · 1 December 1928 Verified

In November-December 1928 the Watch Tower repudiated the pyramid teaching, stating there is 'no justification for applying any of these texts to the pyramid of Gizeh' and that Egypt 'always represents Satan's organization'. The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 1 December 1928Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (1993), 1993The Watchtower, 15 May 1957The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, 15 November 1928

The organisation’s position or later explanation: w57 5/15 par. 17 and jv p. 201 present the 1928 articles as the correction.

Show the evidence (4 sources)
Primary JW publication Verified

The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, “The Altar in Egypt (part 2)”

1 December 1928 · pp.355-362 (issue Vol. XLIX No. 23; quoted passage c. p. 356) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“There is therefore no justification for applying any of these texts to the pyramid of Gizeh. … It is impossible to fit the literal pyramid of Gizeh to the prophet's description; but the position and condition of the remnant of God exactly fit the prophetic description”

Reads Isaiah 19:19-20 as applying to the anointed remnant; says 'Egypt always represents Satan's organization' and Pharaoh 'is symbolical of the Devil himself'. The issue's study schedule confirms part 1 was in the 15 Nov 1928 issue.

Scan of original

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Scan OCR opened; wording and issue confirmed; exact page approximate (OCR token '856' = p. 356 near the passage).

Scan provenance. Internet Archive item 'w_E_19281201' (single-issue scan); OCR text downloaded and searched.

Corroborated by. src-jv-1993-ch14-pyramid, src-w-1957-0515-pyramid

Notes. The often-quoted 'Satan's Bible' phrase is not in this issue's OCR; it may be in part 1 (15 Nov 1928), which was not opened.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-w-1928-1201-altar-in-egypt-pt2

Primary JW publication Verified

Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (1993), “Chapter 14 — “They Are No Part of the World””

1993 · pp.188-201 · p. 201 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“For some 35 years, Pastor Russell thought that the Great Pyramid of Gizeh was God's stone witness, corroborating Biblical time periods. (Isa. 19:19) But Jehovah's Witnesses have abandoned the idea that an Egyptian pyramid has anything to do with true worship. (See “Watchtower” issues of November 15 and December 1, 1928)”

The organisation's own summary.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened on wol.jw.org; wording and page confirmed.

Corroborated by. src-w-1928-1201-altar-in-egypt-pt2

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-jv-1993-ch14-pyramid

Primary JW publication Verified

The Watchtower, “Appreciating Basic Christian Publications”

15 May 1957 · pp.311-317 (par. 17 on p. 316) · par. 17 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“First, Egypt was a Devil-ruled pagan country, not a place for divine revelation; second, God does not accomplish his work through the type of slave labor that built the pyramids; third, Christians are told that they must live by faith, not by sight”

Points a reader is told to draw from the 15 Nov and 1 Dec 1928 issues when someone raises the Great Pyramid.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened on wol.jw.org; wording confirmed (page within 311-317 not separately checked).

Corroborated by. src-jv-1993-ch14-pyramid

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-w-1957-0515-pyramid

Primary JW publication Unverified

The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, “The Altar in Egypt (part 1)”

15 November 1928 · pp.339-345 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

Part 1 of the repudiation of the Great Pyramid; secondary sources attribute to it the statement that the pyramid was built under Satan's direction ('Satan's Bible').

No online copy located.

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Not opened — no archive.org scan for 15 Nov 1928 (only 1 Nov, 1 Dec and 15 Dec 1928 issues are present as w_E_1928* items). Existence and date confirmed by the 1 Dec 1928 issue's study schedule and by jv p. 201.

Corroborated by. src-w-1928-1201-altar-in-egypt-pt2, src-jv-1993-ch14-pyramid

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-w-1928-1115-altar-in-egypt-pt1

Claim page

A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-doctrine-pyramid-1928-repudiated/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.